Touchy touch-sensitive gadgets

I have an LG Chocolate phone, an iPod,a laptop with a touchpad, and a Nintendo DS, all of which are touch-sensitive. But then the term “touch-sensitive” is misleading. The devices don’t want any kind of touch, they need to be touched (or stroked) in a specific area by a specific thing (Hmmm, sounds like an opening paragraph for erotic literature)– most preferably, a human finger because these touch-sensitive gadgets only respond to objects with capacitance.

It’s hilarious that Apple came up with a patent for a glove that lets you peel back the tip of the finger. Silly, yes, but if you’ve ever taken a walk on a cold winter day, you’ll know why this is needed. My house is a 30-min. walk from work, so I often listen to music. Fast-forwarding, skipping tracks, and rewinding can be done with my gloves on, but I can’t turn the wheel. It’s the same with my phone. Both devices long for a human touch (or at least something that has a current running through it) It’s annoying. Sometimes, I try to scroll through tracks on my iPod using my lips instead of taking off my gloves. Yes, I have caught people looking at me in an odd way. They probably thought I was smooching my iPod.

D.Y. Wohn, Ph.D.

Dr. Wohn is an assistant professor at NJIT where she runs the Social Interaction Lab. Her research is in the area of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) where she studies factors that contribute to socially sustainable technology by understanding non-conscious habits, motivation, and identity. She is particularly interested in technology for social support, psychological wellbeing, and education.